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MEMBER DIARY

Guns and The Fairness Doctrine

Kudos to Senators John Ensign (R-NV), John Thune (R-SD), Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) for using the bill to provide a vote in the House of Representatives to the District of Columbia to force votes today on expanding gun rights and trashing the idea of the federal government regulating the radio airwaves. These senators used an unconstitutional bill to essentially treat the District of Columbia as a state to force votes on guns and free speech.

The Senate just passed the “Second Amendment Enforcement Act” offered by Senator Ensign to put in place a reasonable framework for law abiding citizens to own firearms in the District of Columbia. Senator Coburn and Thune also offered pro gun amendments, but they were withdrawn in an effort allow a vote on the D.C gun measure. The Ensign Amendment passed 62-36 with the strong bipartisan support of 22 Democrats and only one Republican voting no, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN). The Second Amendment rights of all Americans are still a popular issue with both Democrats and Republicans. Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday discussed the Obama Administration’s intent to “reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.” Holder may want to rethink that pledge in the wake of the vote on the Ensign Amendment today.

Senator Jim DeMint offered “The Broadcaster Freedom Amendment” to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from bringing back any part of the Fairness Doctrine and prevailed with 87 votes. This vote should be a message to the FCC not to reinstate any incarnation of the Fairness Doctrine that would crack down on free speech on radio. Conservatives should be happy that Senators Ensign, Coburn, Thune, and DeMint are fighting to preserve both the First and Second Amendments to the United States Constitution.